A hydraulic actuating device according to the preamble of claim 1 is for example known from EP 1 031 697 in the name of the Applicant.
With this known actuating device, the first hydraulic actuator provided with a bypass duct, via which fluid which is supplied to a chamber of the hydraulic actuator can partially or completely flow away if the piston has opened the inlet opening of the bypass duct. The bypass duct produces the effect that the speed of movement of the piston/piston rod assembly is damped before the end position is reached. Also, the force which can be delivered by the hydraulic actuator decreases as soon as fluid which is supplied under pressure to a chamber of the actuator is able to flow away via the bypass duct.
In practice, it happens that damping of the speed of movement of the piston/piston rod assembly is desirable, but that it is a problem that the force that can be delivered by the actuator already decreases before the end position has been reached.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hydraulic actuating device, by means of which, on the one hand, a good damping action can be obtained and, on the other hand, the actuator can continue to deliver a force effectively until it reaches its end position.